Politics Show on Policing
Given their undoubted interest in the subject I wonder what the NIO made of the Politics Show today. Some of the clips below the fold could justify a post on their own but.. as they are all related.. There’s Chris Patten on what he would do differently if he was doing his report on policing again, along with his comments on “the omnipotent peer of the realm” Peter Mandelson – “people aren’t always as clever as they think they are”. Yvette Shapiro with a report on the state of policing on the ground, including what some of those ubiquitous “community workers” think of it. And David Ford on the prospective role of Justice Minister. But to start, here’s Jim Fitzpatrick talking to Acting Chief Constable Judith Gillespie. Interesting questions on the “intelligence gap” in regard to republican paramilitary activity. Of course, those questions should, more properly, be asked of MI5.
BBC NI’s Yvette Shapiro with a report on the state of policing on the ground, including what some of those ubiquitous “community workers” think of it.
Chris Patten on what he would do differently if he was doing his report on policing again, along with his comments on “the omnipotent peer of the realm” Peter Mandelson – “people aren’t always as clever as they think they are”.
And David Ford on the prospective role of Justice Minister.
Patten, Gillespie and the ordinary folk are all singing from the same hymn sheet,
as you’d expect its not political for them, its practical.
N.B. http://quinnsupport.blogspot.com/
An excellent series of extracts.
1) After an impressive performance like that, let’s hope Judith Gillespie is marked down as the CC after next.
2) I have always been, and remain, opposed to the Patten recommendation on 50/50 recruitment, and am convinced that its implementation will have repercussions for years to come – “people as good as you – and perhaps even better than you – were rejected because they were prods”. However, Patten gave an excellent account of himself – careful, judicious and astute.
3) David Ford also did himself no harm; his comments on the old and familiar dangers of the political direction of the police were particularly apposite.